Medium - artsbma.org · have been produced for Mattel’s Barbie doll since her debut in March of...

Black OutSilhouettes Then and Now

The Magazine of the Birmingham Museum of Art Summer · 2019

Medium

7 | Art + Exhibitions

Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now

Barbie: Dreaming of a Female Future

Ways of Seeing: Portraits

Provenance Research

16 | Programs + Events

Ongoing Programs

Art After 5 Returns

Art On The Rocks

18 | News + Giving

Staff Visits NMPJ

In Memoriam: Caroline Ireland

Terry Beckham Q+A

2019 Museum Ball

In Memoriam: Pauline Ireland

Volunteer Spotlight

Teen Night

Corporate Partners

Tribute + Memorial Gifts

Visitors’ View

Medium · Summer · 2019

On the cover: Profile (detail), 2018, wood, single light source,

and cast shadow, Kumi Yamashita, © Kumi Yamashita; Photo: Ryo

Sekimura

James Outland

Chairman of the Board

Graham C. Boettcher

The R. Hugh Daniel Director

Laura Monroe

Editor

James Williams

Designer

Sean Pathasema

Photographer

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[email protected]

Editorial inquiries to:

[email protected]

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The Birmingham Museum of Art publishes the membership magazine, Medium, quarterly.

The mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art is to spark the creativity, imagination, and

liveliness of Birmingham by connecting all its citizens to the experience, meaning, and joy of art.

Board of Trustees

Mr. James K. Outland, Museum Board Chairman; Ms. Myla E. Calhoun, Secretary; Mr. Braxton Goodrich, Endowment Chair; Mr. Joel B. Piassick,

Treasurer & Finance Chair; Mrs. Maye Head Frei, Governance Chair; The Honorable Houston Brown; Mr. Norman B. Davis, Jr.; Mr. Mark L. Drew;

Dr. George T. French; Mrs. Joyce Crawford Mitchell; Mr. G. Ruffner Page, Jr.; Dr. Sanjay Singh; Mrs. Nan Skier; Mrs. Kelly Styslinger; Mr. Larry Thornton;

Mrs. Patricia Wallwork

Chairmen Emeriti: Mr. Thomas N. Carruthers, Jr.; Mrs. Margaret Livingston

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. A portion of the general operating budget is supported by the City of Birmingham and a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

2 3

Silhouettes—cut paper profiles—have long been a popular pastime in the United States, provid-

ing sitters with an affordable and instant likeness. I’m sure many of you recall having your own

silhouette cut by an elementary school teacher or a local artist, such as Katharine Blackford did

in this 1972 photo, or even on a family vacation to Disney World. Black Out explores this well-

known yet relatively unstudied art form by tracing both its rich history and showing the innovative

and powerful ways in which contemporary artists have reimagined this tradition in their work

today.

From the playful to the thought-provoking, I hope that you will enjoy experiencing our current

exhibitions and continue to make this your museum. I look forward to seeing you here soon!

Director’s Letter

This old quip from the Dean of American Humor seemed an appropriate way to begin my letter,

as we’ve recently been celebrating fashion at the BMA thanks to Ways of Seeing: Fashion, which

runs through August 11, 2019 (hurry and see it!). This fascinating exhibition—curated by Chief

Curator & Marguerite Jones Harbert and John M. Harbert III Curator of Decorative Arts Dr. Anne

Forschler-Tarrasch and generously supported by our presenting sponsor Style Yourself Chic with

Megan LaRussa—is the second in an ongoing series of six exhibitions that use our global collec-

tions to explore important themes, broadly encompassing works from different cultures, periods,

genres, and materials. This iteration looks at the many ways in which what we wear communi-

cates something about us.

Speaking of fashion, few fashionistas can rival the vast array of outfits and accessories that

have been produced for Mattel’s Barbie doll since her debut in March of 1959. An article in

the August 23, 1963 issue of LIFE magazine entitled “The Most Popular Doll in Town” showed

“Barbie’s $136 wardrobe from nurse to nightclubber,” then sixty-four ensembles in all. On August

9, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of this iconic doll, we will open Barbie: Dreaming of a

Female Future. Curated by Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art Hallie Ringle, the exhibition

takes a fresh look at this familiar figure through the work of women artists who have both cele-

brated and critiqued this undeniable cultural phenomenon. Visitors are invited to play in a life-size

dreamhouse, reminding us of the power of our own imaginations.

This fall, we have the privilege of hosting a major exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National

Portrait Gallery—Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now—which opens on September 28.

Above: @grahamboettcher posing in the interactive gallery for

visitors as part of Ways of Seeing: Fashion

Yours in art,

Graham C. Boettcher, Ph.D.

The R. Hugh Daniel Director

Dear Member,

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Mark Twain1835–1910

American writer and humorist

Opposite Page: Artist Katharine Blackford (1917–1978),

second from right, cuts a silhouette of Alicia Smith during the

Symphony Bazaar. Pictured with them, from left, are Barbara

Gotlieb, Jackie MacClary, and Lady Bea Falkenburg. November

30, 1972. Ed. Note: The odd markings on the scan of this image

are the result of retouching work to make this photograph repro-

duce correctly in a newspaper.

4 5

Black Out Silhouettes Then and Now

September 28 · 2019 – January 12 · 2020 · Jemison Galleries

Art +Exhibitions

Before the selfie, before the Polaroid, and even before the photo-

graph, there was the silhouette, a profile portrait made from cut paper.

Silhouettes were a hugely popular and accessible form of portraiture in the

nineteenth century, offering almost instant images of everyday Americans—

women, men, black, white, presidents, and laborers. Black Out: Silhouettes

Then and Now explores this previously understudied art form by investigating

its deep historical roots and considering its forceful presence today.

Black Out presents historic silhouettes from the collection of the Smithsonian’s

National Portrait Gallery and other institutions alongside works by contemporary

artists who are reimagining silhouettes in bold and unforgettable ways. Many

of the works in the exhibition were made by Auguste Edouart, a French art-

ist whose images capture notable figures including John Quincy Adams (sixth

Flora, cut paper on paperboard, with pen and brown ink, Unidentified Artist;

Stratford Historical Society, Stratford

6 7

Black Out Opening Party

September 27 · 7PM

FREE for Members //

$25 for Non-Members

Join us for an exclusive first look at Black

Out: Silhouettes Then and Now, an exhibi-

tion that explores the previously unstudied

art form of the silhouette by investigating

its deep historical roots and considering its

forceful presence today. Black Out presents

historic silhouettes from the collection of

the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery

and other institutions alongside works by

contemporary artists who are reimagining

silhouettes in bold and unforgettable ways.

Enjoy delicious light bites and cocktails, mu-

sic, and interactive programming inspired by

the art of the silhouette. Further details to

follow at artsbma.org.

president of the United States) and Lydia Maria Child, an anti-slavery and women’s rights activist.

Other rarely-seen highlights are a double-silhouette portrait of Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, a

same-sex couple from the early 1800s, and a life-size silhouette of Flora, a nineteen-year-old en-

slaved woman. These powerful images offer us glimpses into their lives.

Contemporary artists Kara Walker, Camille Utterback, and Kumi Yamashita use silhouettes

to create provocative works of art. Kara Walker engages the silhouette’s associations with el-

egance and refinement to imagine violent episodes throughout history, Camille Utterback

presents an interactive digital work that reacts to visitors’ shadows and movements, and Kumi

Yamashita sculpts light and shadow with objects to create mixed-media profiles of people.

With both historical and contemporary explorations of the silhouette, Black Out reveals new

pathways between our past and present, particularly with regard to how we can reassess notions

of race, power, individualism, and our digital selves.

This exhibition has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National

Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., and generously sponsored by the

Thoma Foundation.

The local presentation of the exhibition is made possible with support

from the City of Birmingham.

Double Silhouette: Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, c. 1805–1815,

cut paper on black fabric, cream colored laid paper, framed in silk and

braids of human hair, Unidentified Artist; Collection of Henry Sheldon

Museum of Vermont History

Auntie Walker's Wall Sampler for Savages, 2013, cut paper on wall,

Kara Walker (born 26 Nov 1969); © Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema

Jenkins & Co., New York.

John Quincy Adams, 1841, lithograph, chalk and cut paper on pa-

per Image, Auguste Edouart (1788–1861); National Portrait Gallery,

Smithsonian Institution; gift of Robert L. McNeil, Jr.

8 9Art + Exhibitions |

BarbieDreaming of a Female Future

Ways of Seeing

PortraitsBarbie: Dreaming of a Female Future takes a critical look at

Barbie on the occasion of her 60th anniversary. In the past six

decades, Barbie’s many careers and enduring independence have

influenced the dreams and imaginations of young people around

the world. At the same time, her impossible appearance and physique promoted narrow and un-

attainable body ideals. This exhibition offers an immersive experience where visitors can explore

their relationship with Barbie through a reimagined dreamhouse.

The works in the exhibition represent artists’ interpretations of Barbie and are presented as

part of this life-size dreamhouse. Sheila Pree Bright’s photography examines the limited stan-

dards of beauty that Barbie represents. Lauren Kelley’s video creates narratives for Barbie as

she explores racial identity through a series of vignettes that are at once humorous, absurd, and

mundane. The dreamhouse itself, titled Barbie: Dreaming of a Female Future, is created by artists

and interior architects Studio Boca and is furnished with objects created by women artists and

makers that bring the space to life.

In taking the place of Barbie in her home, visitors can consider their own relationship with the

doll and the ways in which she may have impacted their perceptions of self. The dreamhouse

highlights the importance of imagination and functions as a welcoming space, one where every-

one—people of all genders, sexualities, and identities—can come to dream of a female future.

August 10 · 2019 – January 26 · 2020 · Arrington GalleryAugust 31 · 2019 – March 8 · 2020 Bohorfoush Gallery

Untitled 14, from the series “Plastic Bodies,” 2003

Sheila Pree Bright, Courtesy of the artist

We live in a world surrounded by portraits. Loved ones and friends

smile from frames in our homes; pictures of famous musicians

and celebrities crop up on our Instagram feeds or shine from glossy

magazine covers. We encounter portraits everywhere: in places of

worship, on billboards, in books, and in newspapers. Portraiture is an

art form that has been around for centuries, and its popularity contin-

ues today.

Drawing primarily from the BMA’s permanent collection, Ways of

Seeing: Portraits brings together various works from the Museum’s collections that consider the

many ways artists have represented people from the 1500s to the present day. From a rare

Renaissance-era portrait drawing to contemporary photography, this show examines how artists

have pictured themselves and others across time.

Highlights of the exhibition include a screenprint of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy by Andy

Warhol, a Civil Rights-era photograph of Malcolm X by Eve Arnold, and Annie Leibovitz’s unusual

portrait of the artist Christo. Featuring works by Käthe Kollwitz, Shirin Neshat, Wilmer Wilson

IV, and other artists—from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe—this exhibition offers us a

glimpse into the lives of other people. But are these truthful representations of someone’s like-

ness or character? This exhibition prompts questions about what portraits are, why they were

made, and the messages they offer about the people they show. They speak about love, grief,

history, memory, and identity.

Ways of Seeing: Portraits is the newest iteration of the BMA’s Ways of Seeing series that ex-

plores themes, perspectives, and ideas from across the Museum’s global art collections.

Hassan, Cadesia, Lee, Joette, and Toni, from the series Living in

Limbo: Lesbian Families in the Deep South, color pigment print

photograph, Carolyn Sherer (American, born 1957); Museum

purchase with funds provided by John E. Hagefstration, Gail

C. Andrews, Virginia H. Scruggs, Russell J. Drake, Cameras

Brookwood, Jennifer Hunt Gallery LLC, Lucy C. Hicks,

Providence Paulin, and Sonja Rieger, 2013.30. Courtesy of

the artist.


One Hundred

Thirty Seven

Years ofLe Matin, temps

brumeux, PourvilleBy Shannon Bewley, Provenance Research Fellow Above: Claude Monet, French, 1840–1926, Le Matin, temps bru-

meux, Pourville (Foggy Morning at Pourville), 1882, oil on canvas;

Museum purchase with funds provided by 1977 and 1980-1983

Museum Dinner and Balls, 1981.40

New research on the Birmingham Museum of Art’s Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville (Foggy

Morning at Pourville) by Claude Monet traces the painting’s provenance back to the art-

ist himself. Provenance is essentially an artwork’s history of ownership. This unbroken thread

of ownership—a rarity in provenance research—reveals how the appreciation of this painting

changed over time and some of the many ways in which an object can transition between owners.

The Museum has always recorded provenance for objects in its collection but recently has fo-

cused on improving its knowledge in this important area and better communicating this knowl-

edge with the public. Over the past year, two of the Museum’s collection support groups, the

Friends of American Art and the European Art Society, funded provenance research on a selec-

tion of paintings in the Museum’s American and European art departments.

As part of this research, the Museum has greatly enhanced the provenances of many objects

in its collection and expanded Nazi-era ownership histories for several objects. While in power

from 1933 to 1945, the Nazi regime of Germany stole and forced transfers of hundreds of thou-

sands of works of art throughout Europe. Many works could not be or were not properly returned

to their rightful owners after the war and were later acquired by museums or private collec-

tions. The Birmingham Museum of Art, in accordance with guidelines set forth by the American

Alliance of Museums, is committed to researching works in the collection that may have been

unlawfully appropriated by Nazi Germany.

This painting's ownership history also reveals the shifting aesthetic values and social condi-

tions of the time in which it was created, illustrating different perceptions of Impressionism in

France and the United States in the late nineteenth century. Although he was one of the leading

Impressionist painters, Claude Monet found little acceptance among the French art establish-

ment. Most art critics, his peers, and public audiences considered his works to be unfinished

and lacking realism. The dominant arts organization in France, the Académie des Beaux-Arts,

barred many Impressionists from exhibiting their works at the Salon in Paris, the major annual art

exhibition in Europe. As a result, these artists, including Monet, struggled to sell their paintings

to French collectors that favored realistic paintings in the academic tradition. However, almost

immediately after Monet painted Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville, the Parisian dealer Paul

Durand-Ruel purchased the work. Recognizing the significance of Impressionism (and its poten-

tial market value!), he supported Monet and other artists with monthly stipends in exchange for

paintings.

Unable to sell his growing inventory, the dealer crept toward bankruptcy until a fortuitous con-

nection brought his Impressionist paintings, including ours, across the Atlantic. In April 1886,

James Sotton, director of the first auction house in the United States, invited Durand-Ruel to

exhibit more than 300 paintings in New York City at the American Art Galleries. Following this

exhibition, the market for Impressionism in the United States exploded and saved Durand-Ruel,

and arguably Monet, from financial ruin. Referencing the different reception of Impressionism in

France, the dealer is reported to have exclaimed, “The American public does not laugh. It buys!"

An annotated copy of the 1886 exhibition catalogue indicates that the Museum’s painting,

number 216, was purchased by “Spencer.” (fig. 1) Later the buyer lent Le Matin, temps brumeux,

Pourville to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The exhibition catalogue entry

for our work, number 2954, reveals his full name as Albert Spencer. (fig. 2) The last trace of

Spencer as owner of the painting appears in another similar catalogue printed for a loan exhibi-

tion of Monet paintings at the Lotos Club, New York, in January 1889.

According to the 1979 catalogue raisonné of Monet’s works, a “Mme A. Holtz” in Paris owned

the painting after Albert Spencer. She sold the painting back to Durand-Ruel’s gallery in New

York. However the nature and dates of A. Holtz’s acquisition of the painting, and subsequent sale

to Durand-Ruel, are still unclear. The dealer’s continued monopoly on Impressionist works solidi-

fied the unchanging American market for these paintings. In 1911 Durand-Ruel sold the work to

Arthur B. Emmons.

Figure 1: Catalogue for the 1886 Works in Oil and Pastel of

the Impressionists of Paris exhibition. Le Matin, temps brumeux,

Pourville is listed as no. 216, “Morning at Pourville.” A handwritten

annotation records that “Spencer” purchased the painting. Image

courtesy of the National Gallery of Art Library, David K. E. Bruce

Fund, digitized 2015.

Figure 2: The checklist from the 1893 World’s Columbian

Exposition catalogue identifies the lender of the painting, no.

2954, as “Mr. Albert Spencer, New York.” Image courtesy of the

Smithsonian Libraries.

Shannon Bewley is the Provenance Research Fellow in the de-

partments of American and European art, funded by the Friends

of American Art and European Art Society. She enhances existing

collection scholarship by researching the ownership histories of a

select group of paintings in the BMA’s collection.


Figure 3: Auction catalogue entry for the 1920 auction of Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville.

Figure 4: Excerpt from Knoedler

& Co. stockbook 6, page 219, row

5, no. 14967. The top lines indicate

the source of the purchase, which is

Arthur B. Emmonds’ auction in 1920

at the American Art Association. The

right column reports that Durand-

Ruel holds a “½ Share” of the painting.

© J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research

Institute, Los Angeles (2012.M.54)

Figure 5: Excerpt from Knoedler &

Co. stockbook 9, page 141, row 41,

no. A3605. The left page documents

the incoming purchase information,

such the dimensions, past stock num-

bers, and date of sale. The right page

shows the buyer of the Monet as

“Wm. H. Taylor.” © J. Paul Getty Trust.

Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles

(2012.M.54)

In 1920 Emmons sold the work at the American Art Association. (fig. 3)

At this auction, Durand-Ruel and his now well-established gallery purchased

the painting once again. For this third purchase, Durand-Ruel partnered with

another major dealer of European paintings in New York, M. Knoedler and Co.,

to make a joint purchase. They each paid half of the price of the work, split-

ting the cost (and the prospective profits). The record of this purchase can be

seen in an excerpt from a Knoedler & Co. stockbook. (fig. 4) Stockbooks are

ledgers used by dealers to record seller and buyer names, inventory numbers,

prices, and other pertinent information for works.

The stockbooks of Knoedler & Co. track the provenance of our paint-

ing from 1920 through 1946. Three years after the 1920 auction, Henry

Thompson Sloane of New York purchased the painting from Knoedler & Co.

His daughter Jessie Sloane inherited the work and sold it back to Knoedler &

Co. in December 1946. (fig. 5) The repeated sales between the Sloane family

and Knoedler indicate the often close relationships between dealers and pri-

vate collectors. Early the next year, the stockbook records William H. Taylor’s

purchase of Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville. Taylor’s niece inherited the

painting and sold it in 1981 to the Birmingham Museum of Art, where it rapidly

became a favorite in the collection.

Our painting’s provenance speaks to the different levels of interest in

Impressionism in France and the United States, especially in the late 1800s.

The provenance also confirms that Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville was

not unlawfully appropriated by Nazi Germany. The Museum will continue to

research the provenances of less-recent acquisitions, like our Monet, to bring

new stories about our collection to light.

While expanding the ownership histories of many

collection highlights from the American and

European paintings departments, the Museum has

carefully assessed how best to share this rich and

complex information. We have recently updated

how we record the provenance narratives that ap-

pear on the individual object pages on the Museum

website, which are updated as new research is

conducted. It is our hope that this new format (see

below) makes provenances at the Museum acces-

sible to more people while also providing details

useful to scholars:

Claude Monet (1840–1926), in Pourville, France, 1882; purchased by dealer

Paul Durand-Ruel (1831–1922), Paris, April 22 or April 25, 1882 [see note

1]; purchased in New York by Albert Spencer, New York, 1886, until at least

January 1899 [see note 2]; Mme A. Holtz, Paris; Durand-Ruel [see note 3];

Arthur B. Emmons, Newport, Rhode Island, 1911 [see note 4]; auctioned at

Valuable Paintings of Sterling Artistic Excellence, American Art Association,

New York, January 14–15, 1920, lot 29; purchased by dealer Knoedler &

Co., New York, on joint account with Durand-Ruel, New York [see note 5];

purchased by Henry Thompson Sloane (1845–1937), New York, December

12, 1923 [see note 6]; inherited by his daughter Jessie Sloane (1883–1968),

New York [see note 7]; purchased by Knoedler & Co., New York, December

27, 1946, as “La Mer à Pourville” [see note 8]; purchased by William H. Taylor,

Westchester, Pennsylvania, February 1947 [see note 9]; inherited by his niece,

Diane T. Walker, Victoria, Australia; purchased by the Birmingham Museum of

Art, Alabama, 1981

1. Sale to Paul Durand-Ruel according to Daniel Wildenstein. Monet. Vol. II.

Wildenstein. Paris: Bibliotheque des Arts, 1979. No. 711. Durand-Ruel lent

1981.40 to the exhibition Works in Oil and Pastel of the Impressionists of

Paris. American Art Galleries, New York, April 1886; National Academy of

Design, New York, May 1886–June 1886, no. 216.

2. “Spencer” is recorded as the buyer in an annotated copy of the exhibition

catalogue for Works in Oil and Pastel of the Impressionists of Paris. The

catalogue is housed at the National Gallery of Art Library in Washington,

D.C. Albert Spencer listed as the lender for the exhibition Pictures by

Claude Monet. New York: Lotos Club, January 1899. No. 2.

3. The Holtz provenance and following sale to Durand-Ruel according to

Wildenstein, 1979, no. 711.

4. Emmons acquisition of 1981.40 in 1911 is according to Wildenstein,

1979, no. 711.

5. Knoedler stockbook 6, page 219, row 5, no. 14967.

6. Knoedler stockbook 7, page 11, row 21, no. 14967.

7. Jessie Sloane is listed as Mrs. George D. Widener in Knoedler stockbook

9, page 141, row 41, no. A3605.

8. Knoedler stockbook 9, page 141, row 41, no. A3605.

9. Knoedler stockbook 9, page 141, row 41, no. A3605.

Further reading:

– www.artsbma.org/provenance

– Yeide, Nancy H. Konstantin Akinsha, and Amy L.

Walsh. The AAM Guide to Provenance Research.

Washington, DC: American Association of

Museums, 2001.

– Herbert, Robert L. Monet on the Normandy Coast:

Tourism and Painting, 1867-1886. New Haven, CT:

Yale University Press, 1996.

– Discovering the Impressionists: Paul Durand-Ruel

and the New Painting. Edited by Sylvia Patry.

Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia Museum of Art,

2015.

1514 Art + Exhibitions |

Ongoing programs

Art and Conversation First Thursdays · 10:30am $12 for Museum Members $17 for Not-Yet-Members

This program is for people who want to

learn more about art in an informative and

interactive setting. The 2019 programs,

with the exception of May and July, are

held on the first Thursday of each month,

January through October. Coffee and light

refreshments are available. Lectures are led

by curators or guest speakers, and attend-

ees are encouraged to ask questions, share

thoughts and ideas, and actively participate

in the learning process.

Slow Art Sundays Sundays · 2pm · Free

Slow food, slow living, slow … art? Unlock

the secrets of works in the Museum’s col-

lection by cultivating the art of looking slow-

ly. Our docents ask and answer questions

to help guide your slow art experience and

foster conversation. Leave the Museum

feeling inspired—not tired!

ArtBreaks Third Tuesdays · Noon · Free

On the third Tuesday of each month,

Museum curators and guest speakers lead

visitors on a 30-minute exploration of art in

the galleries. Through a series of close-look-

ing techniques and questioning, this free ex-

perience helps build the visitor’s interpretive

skills across the comprehensive-range of

art periods and canons represented by the

BMA’s collections. Stay for lunch at Oscar’s

and they will throw in a free dessert!

Sensory Empowerment Program Second Saturdays · 10am · Free

In this program for adults with visual im-

pairments and their companions, special-

ly trained docents present the Museum’s

collection by means of verbal descriptions,

three-dimensional tactile models based on

original works of art, and sculpture. The ex-

perience may be enhanced by related music

and/or art-making to provide multi-sensory

access to the visual arts.

Advance reservations are required; space

is limited. SEP tours are also available for

school-age or adult groups. To reserve your

spot or learn more about group tours, call

205.254.2964.

The Sensory Empowerment Program

is supported in part by a grant from The

EyeSight Foundation of Alabama.

Programs + Events

Spanish Tours at the BMA Second Saturday of every month 11am · Free

The BMA is proud to offer monthly Spanish

language tours of its collection. No reser-

vation is necessary for these free walk-in

tours. Open to visitors of all ages, each tour

focuses on a unique theme and aspect of

the Museum’s global collection. Join us to

explore artwork from around the world!

Visitas guiadas en español en BMA El segundo sábado de cada mes, a las · 11am · Gratis

El BMA se enorgullece de presentar visitas

guiadas de su colección en español. No se

requiere reserva previa para estos recor-

ridos gratuitos. Destinados a visitantes de

todas las edades, cada mes, el recorrido

se centrará en un tema y aspecto único de

la colección del Museo. ¡Únete a nosotros

para explorar obras de arte de todo el

mundo!

This program is brought to you by the Dora

and Sanjay Singh Endowment for Global

Arts, Culture, and Education.

To learn more about our ongoing programs and what we have planned for each event, please visit our online calendar at artsbma.org/events.

Art After 5 First Fridays · September through April · 5–9pm · Free

The last season of Art After 5 was one for

the books! The first Fridays event series

grew in scope and popularity, as guests

came out in droves for an evening of art,

crafts, tours, cocktails, and entertainment

at the BMA, where each night was de-

signed around a theme inspired by pop

culture. Highlights of the season included

an Iron Throne photo booth at Game of

Thrones Night, hilarious tours inspired by

the movie Mean Girls and the television

show Parks and Recreation, and DIY holiday

sweater making during our Museum Movie

Merrython event.

We’re kicking off another exciting sea-

son on September 6th with an evening of

wizardry at Art After 5: Harry Potter Night!

After the sorting hat determines your

Hogwarts house, enjoy potion-making, a

quest for horcruxes in the galleries, and

wand-making at Ollivanders. Mark your cal-

endar for another great year of Art After 5

at the BMA!

2019–2020 Art After 5 Schedule

September 6 // Harry Potter Night

October 4 // The Witching Hour

November 1 // The Big Lebowski

December 6 // Museum Movie Merrython 2

January 3 // Game Night

February 7 // Space Oddity

March 6 // Golden Girls

April 3 // 90's Night

Art-Making Programs

Drop-in Drawing Third Sundays · 2–4pm Free, no registration necessary

Looking for a last-minute art fix? Here’s

an open invitation to explore your creative

sensibilities in a relaxed setting with inspi-

ration from a pro. Make your own drawing in

the galleries under the guidance of teach-

ing artist Jamison Harper. You provide the

creativity. We’ll provide the art supplies.

Locations vary, see signs at entrances.

Studio School

Studio School offers a wide range of art

classes for adults and children, including

painting, drawing, pottery, and more. Using

the Museum’s collection and exhibitions as

inspiration, explore your own creativity while

discovering new techniques. Whether you’re

interested in a laid-back craft night or an in-

depth course, Studio School has something

for you.

BMA members receive a 10% discount

on all Studio School classes. To see more

information and to register, go to artsbma.

org/studio-school.

Art On The Rocks

Presented by Dale’s Seasoning August 9

The 15th season of Art On The Rocks pre-

sented by Dale’s Seasoning is in full swing,

with the final event on August 9. Art On

The Rocks brings three lively nights of en-

tertainment to downtown Birmingham with

interactive performances, artist collabora-

tions, food, cocktails, and more. This season

features special musical guests Con Brio,

Durand Jones & the Indications, and Black

Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. Join us in

August as we unveil the immersive exhibi-

tion Barbie: Dreaming of a Female Future.

Museum members enjoy a discounted ad-

mission price of $15. Tickets are available

for purchase at artsbma.org.

16 17

In Memoriam: Caroline Patterson Ireland

1921–2019

Caroline Ireland, a long-

time supporter of the

Birmingham Museum of Art,

passed away on January

31, 2019. Caroline was a

woman of diverse passions,

which included collecting

American art, extensive in-

ternational travel, deep sea

fishing, and French cook-

ing, which she studied un-

der the legendary Simone

Beck. She shared both her

time and her treasure with

the Birmingham Museum

of Art—and countless other

non-profit organizations—

serving on the Museum’s

Advisory Board and chair-

ing the 1986 Museum Ball. She was also responsible for numerous gifts to our

collection, including the two Yaacov Agam sculptures exhibited around the ex-

terior of the Museum, and the full-length

portrait of Gilles du Faing presently hang-

ing in the Museum's Featheringill Gallery

of Dutch Art. Caroline and her late hus-

band Charles W. Ireland, former chairman

of our Board of Trustees, were responsible

for Andy Warhol's visit to Birmingham in

1979, having commissioned the artist to

paint a series of four portraits. Some of

the many Polaroid photos taken by Warhol

in preparation for the portraits are now in

the Museum’s permanent collection and

convey the glamour and elegance exuded

by this one-time Christian Dior model throughout her life. Caroline was known

to say, “Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you will land among the stars.” Stellar is

precisely the right word to describe Caroline’s storied life and impactful legacy.

Jestina Howard, Special Events Manager: I visit-

ed the Legacy Museum for the first time in May

2018, but I didn't get a chance to take it all in. It

was a very busy day so I couldn't check out a lot

of the information. I'm glad I got the opportunity to

go back with the BMA staff and take my time to

really immerse myself in the information, photo-

graphs and videos. Although the information was

somewhat disturbing to me, it was still very enlight-

ening. The new Peace & Justice Memorial Center

is wonderful as well. I love that they now have an

educational theatre for presentations and a really

nice gift shop. Taking this trip with my co-workers

was fun and gave us an opportunity to learn, reflect,

and fellowship with one another. I hope we get to

do more things like this in the future.

Jim Sokol: What an honor for me to have been able

to share this moving experience with staff friends

at the BMA!

News +Giving

Museum Staff Visits National Memorial for Peace and Justice

In June, BMA board member and dedicated patron, Jim Sokol sponsored a BMA staff trip to

Montgomery to give employees the opportunity to visit the National Memorial for Peace and

Justice. The day-long excursion proved to be a transformative experience for many of our staff.

Here’s what a few staff members had to say about their visit:

Regina Ray, Security Officer: This was a wonderful self-guided tour. There was so much infor-

mation written and verbalized that made this trip a visceral experience. The memorial columns

with all the names of slaves that had been lynched was overwhelming and actually brought

tears to my eyes. Some words that best describe this trip are: Amazing, Moving, Humbling,

Powerful, Emotional, Impressing, Depressing; but really it was a real historical moment for me.

J.R. Feagins, Chief of Museum Security: This experience was more than I expected. I did not

know until I arrived at the Legacy Museum how I would receive the past; a past that only lived

in the back of my mind. Upon arrival, there was fear and excitement at the same time. Fear for

the fact of not knowing how I would react, and excitement for the fact that recognition was

given to so many wrongs and atrocities committed through ignorance. The healing continues

through acceptance. In the great words of Helen Keller “Character cannot be developed in

ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened,

ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Caroline Ireland, 1979, Polacolor Type 108 Polaroid; Andy Warhol,

American, 1928–1987; Museum purchase with funds provided

by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Alan Ritchie, Mr. and Mrs. Robin A. Wade,

and Tina Teel, 2011.9, © 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the

Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York

18 19

The field of exhibition design as a ca-

reer is not very large, especially in the

Southeast. Can you tell us how your interest

in this job began?

Terry Beckham: My goal growing up was

to be an artist or an astronaut. Being an art-

ist won. I was able to tailor my education to

maximize as much art instruction as I could

get in public school which was not much.

The real break for me came when I was

accepted and attended Alabama School

of Fine Arts; this was a total game

changer for me. It showed me there

were career paths in the art field

that were available to me that I didn't

even know about, like museum work.

I pursued an Art degree at the

University of Alabama and gradu-

ated with a BFA. My intent was to

take a year off before continuing

my art education through the pur-

suit of a masters degree, with the

goal of teaching on the college level.

However, my path forked and I was

led to exhibit design. After gradua-

tion, I moved back to Birmingham

and began looking for work in an

art-related field. Broke and needing

some income while I searched for

a job, I became a waiter instead. In

less than two weeks on the job (I

was horrible at it), I ran into a former pro-

fessor who told me about a federal gov-

ernment-funded mural project that needed

artists. I immediately applied and was

hired. I worked with nine other artists and

we painted large-scale public art in and

around Birmingham for 18 months. It was

fabulous! The mural project ended but the

arts co-op that sponsored the project also

ran an art gallery that rotated exhibitions

monthly. I was hired as gallery director and

artist-in-residence. This is where I got my

feet wet designing and installing exhib-

its. The funds for this position expired, so

once again I was looking for my next op-

portunity. Since I was out of work and still

young, I began making plans to hike the

Appalachian trail. At this point faith jumped

in because two months before I planned

to begin my AT hike, my former boss for-

warded me a job announcement from the

Huntsville Museum of Art for an exhibit de-

signer / preparator. I had never even heard

of an exhibit designer / preparator, but after

reading the job description I knew I had all

the skills they were looking for. I applied for

the position mainly to gain some interview

experience and, to my surprise, I was hired.

I worked at the Huntsville Museum of

Art for four years and gained valuable job

experience. I totally fell in love with muse-

um work and designing exhibits. I made the

decision that my career path would be in

museum work—besides, NASA never called

me back about being an astronaut. The

one thing lacking at the Huntsville museum

was a permanent collection. I really wanted

to work on exhibits that would be installed

for years, not just months. This is what led

me to a new job search and eventually to

the Birmingham Museum of Art in August

1984. The BMA has been my home ever

since.

The job of an exhibition designer includes

everything from picking out gallery paint

colors to creating the flow through a space.

Which aspect of your work did you enjoy

most?

TB: I’ll say without a doubt that picking out

the gallery colors is by far the most difficult

task I was charged with. I really sweated

some bullets on that task many times! Not

only did I have to be 100% sure about a

color, but the curator of the exhibition I was

working on had to be on board, too.

Lots and lots of color tests happened

to make those decisions. Creating

the exhibition path or flow through

the galleries was always fun; I en-

joyed adding that surprise element

that you would encounter when you

rounded a corner or stepped into the

gallery. Researching period architec-

tural elements for exhibitions was al-

ways a pleasure, too, even though it

was like walking a tightrope. I had to

be very careful not to overpower the

art with too many extra architectural

details.

Since you started at the BMA in

1984, can you describe how the de-

sign and installation of Museum ex-

hibitions has evolved?

TB: When I joined the BMA in 1984, I was

a one-person department, so the exhibition

design and installations were simple. I was

making scale designs with paper models

on graph paper. The BMA was at a turning

point, growing in collection, staff, and facili-

ties. My staff grew, and so did the complex-

ity of the designs. I also began designing

exhibits using computer design software,

CAD, about this time. This was a real chal-

lenge because I had no previous computer

training. I totally learned CAD by laying the

manual in my lap and stumbling through the

tutorials, plus a UAB special studies class

on Mac. A big turning point with exhibit de-

sign came with the digital revolution. Where

in the past the prep staff and I would hand

paint all the exhibit graphics with the help

of an overhead projector, now, design is a

few clicks away from a photo mural or the

exhibit title. It’s night and day by comparison.

Another big change in the design and instal-

lation has been that the conservation of the

objects or care of the art objects is now em-

bedded in all of the exhibit planning, ensur-

ing the collection will be around for future

generations. That was a real learning curve,

but through the use of conservation

exhibit materials, it is now the norm.

After more than three decades, you

have brought countless projects

from ideation to completion. Of

which project are you most proud?

TB: That’s like asking which of your

children do you like best. I do have

my favorites but there are hundreds

that I also enjoyed working with very

much.

Top Choice #1 exhibit: Quin, The

First Emperor of China. This exhibit

put the BMA on the map!

I think it still has the top atten-

dance the Museum has ever had

for an exhibit. The director of the

Terracotta Warrior Museums was so

impressed with my design that he

had his curators track me down to ask me

what I did to make the exhibit look and func-

tion so well. I was very flattered. I’m sure no

one walked away from that exhibit unhappy.

It was a pleasure to work on it from start to

finish. Great team effort by the BMA.

#2: The Armand Hammer Collection. This

is the very first major exhibit I worked on not

to long after I began working at the BMA.

Fabulous artwork, very well attended, and I

was very pleased with the design work and

installation of the exhibit. This exhibit was

in the old building before we renovated and

we added new wood flooring to the galleries

before the exhibit began only to have to re-

finish them afterwards because of the paths

that were worn by the large attendance the

exhibit experienced.

#3: The Look of Love, Extremely chal-

lenging to design and plan for but in one

of those “in the shower moments” I saw the

complete exhibit in my mind. This exhib-

it may be the only one I designed that did

not change too much from conception to

completion.

#4: Countless changing exhibits, too

many to name, but I enjoyed working on all

of them, Some more than others but it was

all good. The last exhibit that was produced

in the old building before the 1993 Museum

renovation was That’s all Folks. This exhibi-

tion was about Warner Brothers Cartoons,

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and the

like. What made this design special was the

fact that we would never use these galler-

ies again before they were demolished for

construction, so I cut loose with the design

and basically recreated a cartoon look in all

the galleries. We painted the wall in bright

colors on odd angles, painted the floors and

ceilings. Added Rabbit tracks on the floor.

Just imagine all the images you see in a

Warner Brothers cartoon and that’s what

we did to the galleries. I wanted you to feel

like you were walking in the cartoon and

you did. It was so much fun.

The Design work that I am most proud of

is the BMA's permanent collection galleries.

This is the reason I moved to Birmingham

and I feel the improvements that I have

made in the BMA’s permanent collection

galleries are a meaningful legacy to leave

behind. If I have to single one permanent

collection gallery out it would be three, the

Chinese and the two Japanese art

galleries.

As busy as you’ve always been,

we don’t expect you to slow down

during retirement. What are some of

your plans for the future?

TB: When I began thinking about

retirement I started a list of things I

wish to accomplish. That list grew to

three pages long by the time I retired

at the first of May. My list was full of

the usual standard retirement things,

like travel, spend more time with the

grandkids and so on. My main goal

is to make more of my art. It was my

love of producing art that led me into

this career path. I have spent the

last 38 years of my life making other

artists look good, so now it’s my turn.

I plan to exhibit around town and I’m look-

ing at showing at some regional exhibits. I

have been involved in scouting for the last

31 years and have been the scoutmaster

of Troop 93 for the last nine years. I plan

to continue working with the scouts as long

as I’m able. If you join my Troop I guaran-

tee you will earn art and space exploration

merit badges before you leave. I enjoy the

outdoors, and working with the scouts guar-

antees that I’m camping out every month.

Being outdoors is where I draw most of

my inspiration for my artworks so scouting

helps serve my need to create art as well.

Terry Beckham

Q+A

20 21News + Giving |

On May 4, 2019, co-chairs Lindsey and John

Lacey and Courtney and Bryson Stephens

welcomed over 450 guests to the 63rd

Annual Museum Ball: POP in the City. The

evening’s colorful theme drew inspiration from

Pop Art, an art movement that arrived brazenly

in the 1950s and challenged tradition through

bold, new ways of thinking, ways that elevated

the ordinary and celebrated everyday life.

HotHouse Design Studio transformed the

galleries and outdoor plaza into a dazzling

space electrified by neon signs and happy

party goers. Mac Russell of Shindigs and

Whistling Table was chosen as the evening’s

featured chef. Mac and his team put togeth-

er a modern plate inspired by the evening’s

theme that explored color, shape, and flavor.

After dessert, guests danced until the early

morning hours to a show-stopping perfor-

mance by Universal Crush.

In 2018, the BMA offered 540 programs,

workshops and tours, introducing thousands

of adults, students, and children to our collec-

tion. Proceeds from the Museum Ball provides

critical resources to the BMA’s education de-

partment, ensuring that the visual arts are part

of every child’s development.

This year’s ball chairs showed sincere ded-

ication and leadership in setting and reach-

ing lofty fundraising goals. With the help of

an outstanding Museum Ball Committee,

Corporate Partners, and devoted patrons, the

event raised more than $665,000.

The 63rd Annual Museum Ball

Saturday, May 4 · 2019

John and Lindsey Lacey, Courtney and Bryson Stephens

Graham C. Boettcher and Mayor Randall Woodfin Kristin Ritter, John Chapman, Ashley Tabb, Lucia Tabb, Bronwyne ChapmanSara and Logan Taylor

Peter Curtin, Susan Curtin, and Emma Curtin Angela King and Danielle Yancey

Sanjeev Chaudhuri, Pia Sen, Ambika Ashraf, Dora Singh


In Memoriam: Pauline Ireland

1940–2019

The BMA recently lost a longtime friend with the passing of Pauline

Ireland, who died on March 12, 2019. As an undergraduate at Hollins

College, Pauline majored in music, which remained a lifetime passion,

complemented by a love of art, travel, dance, fashion and good food.

The daughter of former BMA board chair Charles W. Ireland and his

first wife Jeanette Adams Ireland, Pauline continued her father’s leg-

acy of leadership and dedicated support for the Museum. Pauline was

a loyal and enthusiastic participant in many facets of Museum life over

the years: she co-chaired the 1991 Museum Ball—This Side of Eden—

and was active in the Collectors Circle for Contemporary Art, serv-

ing on its board, as well as serving on the Museum's Advisory Board,

Committee on Collections, and the Board of the Art Fund, Inc. Pauline

was not only generous with her time, but also took pleasure in shar-

ing her resources, donating key works of art to the Museum's collec-

tion, including Philip Taaffe's Black Venus (1991) and Tim Rollins and

K.O.S.'s Invisible Man (1999–2000), and contributing funds to help

the Museum acquire many more works. We will miss Pauline's zest for

life, passion for art, and fabulous fashion sense, evident in this photo

from the 1991 Museum Ball.

Teen Night 2019 Recap

By Mabry Smyer, Teen BMA Member

Teen Night was a spectacular time for ab-

solutely anyone who wandered through

the Museum doors the evening of May 10.

The event had something for everyone;

you could break it down on the dance

floor, jump into an art project, or just chill

out in the galleries.

Personally, my favorite part of the night

was giving tours to groups of fellow high

schoolers. I’ve been a gallery attendant

this year, and it was really fun to be able

to share a bit about the Museum with

people who haven’t spent hours in the

halls of this building. The tour, all orga-

nized by Teen BMA members, was all-en-

compassing with stops along the path

from the newly-reopened contemporary

gallery all the way down the hall through

the European and American galleries

and up the stairs to the Wedgwood and

Asian galleries. The groups opened up

more and more as we moved through

the galleries, and it was exciting to watch

people really connect to the Museum. It

was also pretty funny to be back in the

typically-quiet depths of the galleries and

feel music pulsing from the distant dance

floor. Out there was an, albeit intimidating,

always enticing place to make memories

with friends for the more daring Museum

attendee. Near the dance floor was a

mural sketched by Teen BMA members

and gradually painted in by visitors during

the event. The mural came to life by the

end of the night, culminating in a vibrant

depiction of our throwback theme. If you

wanted to get away from the blasting

music, however, you could also work on

your own art project in the front lobby. The

projects we set up had people working

all night long, and amidst the bustling ac-

tivities and blasting music, the art tables

were a nice place to gather around and

spot loads of creativity from visitors.

By the end of the night, there were kids

in every nook and cranny of the Museum.

Whether an attendee knew the galleries

like the back of their hand or had just

stepped foot in the BMA for the first time,

everyone seemed to have settled right

in. As a self-professed art museum nerd,

it made me very happy to see everyone

make the BMA their home for the night. I

can't wait for next year.Pauline Ireland (right) and Tita Hyland

Volunteer Spotlight: Art Abbs

Art Abbs joined the Museum’s volunteer program in 2007, just after

he retired from working at the Department of Interior for 42 years. His

wife, Ruth Ann, had been a volunteer and he decided to join her by as-

sisting with special exhibitions where he would hand out audio guides

and take tickets. His volunteer role expanded over the years and he

committed to regular Information Desk shifts. He and Ruth Ann also

enjoy volunteering together for kids art activities on the weekends,

especially a program he remembers with one of his favorite artists,

Charlie Lucas.

Art enjoys meeting other people through volunteering and the

friendships he has developed over the years. He also likes learning

about art, the opportunity to talk to visitors about the Museum, and be-

ing able to give back to the community through volunteering. In addi-

tion to volunteering at the Museum, Art also volunteers at the Hoover

Public Library’s Friends Bookstore. Art’s creative outlet is quilting,

another hobby he picked up after retirement. Ruth Ann had been a

quilter for years with Art as her assistant. He liked helping her cut fab-

ric and using quilting tools. When he retired, Art decided to make his

first quilt and was surprised when it won the first-time quilters award

from the Birmingham Quilters Guild. He has since won several quilting

awards.

In addition to quilting, Art likes to work in his yard and travel. Some

of his favorite trips have been to national parks and landmarks. He

even plans to visit a few more this summer. One of his favorite art-

works in the Museum’s collection is Looking Down Yosemite Valley by

Albert Bierstadt, and it’s a representation of two of his interests—art

and a beautiful national landmark. Thank you, Art, for your service!


Corporate Partner Spotlight

Four Corners Gallery

Corporate PartnersFounder’s Circle

Sustainer’s Circle

Each year, our Corporate Partners provide critical support for the Museum’s programs, exhibi-

tions, and most importantly, keeping the Museum free of charge for our visitors. Ranging from

our hands-on interactive space, Bart’s ArtVenture, to family festivals, school tours, studio classes,

and more, Corporate Partners are vital to ensuring that our Family and Youth Programs allow

nearly 35,000 children each year to create, read, dance, and explore while celebrating cultures

and traditions from around the world. Thank you to our Corporate Partners for helping to con-

nect all of Birmingham to the experience, meaning, and joy of art.

For more information about the BMA’s Corporate Partner membership program or to involve

your company, please contact Kate Tully Delgreco, development director, at 205.297.8214 or

[email protected]

Chairman’s Circle

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Butler Snow LLP

Encompass Health Corporation

Jemison Investment Co., Inc.

New Capital Partners, Inc.

Red Diamond, Inc.

Regions Bank

Stewart Perry Construction

Director’s Circle

Altec Industries, Inc.

Davis Architects

Ram Tool and Supply Company

Thompson Tractor

Curator’s Circle

Arlington Properties, Inc.

Dobbins Group

Dunn Investment Company

First Commercial Bank

Marx Brothers, Inc.

Motion Industries, Inc.

Precision Graphics

Benefactor’s Circle

Brookmont Realty Group LLC

Christie’s

Four Corners Custom Framing Gallery

Hughes and Scalise, P.C.

Kassouf & Co., P.C.

Levy’s Fine Jewelry, Inc.

National Cement Company of Alabama, Inc.

O’Neal Industries

Pizitz Management Group

Precision Grinding, Inc.

Williams-Blackstock Architects

For 20 years, Four Corners Gallery has provided fine art, custom framing and restoration, serving

a critical piece of the creative process for many around Birmingham. How have you seen creativ-

ity embraced around Birmingham over the years?

Four Corners Gallery: Birmingham has always had an amazing amount of creative talent but

has really blossomed in the last five to seven years. Maybe it was an inferiority complex we

needed to overcome? The Great Recession certainly didn’t help. However, with downtown's

architectural revitalization and recent national accolades like Railroad Park’s Urban Land

Institute award and James Beard award winners, not to mention the Museum’s Third Space

exhibition and Sidewalk Film Festival’s notoriety, Birmingham is obviously awash in creativity.

We have matured as an imaginative community. We are more confident and have become

cheerleaders of our collective successes. It appears many local contemporary artists are pro-

ducing more works with a strong sense of place and time as a result.

Like the Museum, Four Corners is dedicated to preserving important works of art. What have

been some of your more memorable projects?

FCG: There are so many! It’s always a thrill to frame works by big name artists like Josef Albers,

Benny Andrews, and Marc Chagall because we all get a little star struck. Framing AEIVA’s

Andy Warhol collection for their inaugural exhibit was a big undertaking and very rewarding.

We once framed a very large Radcliffe Bailey piece that included a lot of glitter. Glitter is al-

ways memorable because it shows up again and again, kind of like honey, you cannot get rid

of it.

We have also framed numerous items that wouldn’t be considered important to anyone

other than the individual who brought them in. The stories behind them can be emotional, like

the tornado shattered piece of auto glass held together by a University of Alabama “A” decal.

Fortunately the owner wasn't in his car when the tornado roared through. One client provided

us with life-size Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise panel photos he'd taken and had printed on metal.

We replicated the doors at over twelve-feet tall. The final work is absolutely breathtaking.

Four Corners is a loyal supporter of the BMA. Why do you choose to support arts and culture in

Birmingham?

FCG: Supporting the Birmingham art scene is a natural extension of all we do. In addition to

being designers and craftspeople, the Four Corners team is made up of fine artists, photogra-

phers, and musicians. Art is in our blood and we honor the richness it brings to our daily lives. I

believe we all feel very fortunate to be making a living and serving our community while doing

work we really enjoy doing.

If you could meet any artist, living or dead, who would it be? What would you ask them?

FCG: I am drawn to Wayne Thiebaud’s street and landscape paintings. Aside from his mastery

of color, light, and texture, Thiebaud’s dramatic perspectives captivate me. I’m a sucker for San

Francisco’s hills and the Bay Area’s beauty, so these works have me all in. Thiebaud is now

98 years old. In an interview with Smithsonian Magazine he said, “ … being American is a very

important part of what I feel and do.” I don't know if he's still painting but if he is I would like to

see how he interprets his Americanness today. I would ask him how he sees America in 2019.

Is that the America he is currently painting?

Owner of Four Corners Gallery, Carla Hamilton


Tribute + Memorial Gifts

Gift date range for this edition of Medium is January 1, 2019–March 31, 2019

In Honor of:

Mr. and Mrs. John Fletcher Abele, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mrs. Julie Adams: Village Garden Club

Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Keay Allen, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gilbert Amason III: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Ms. Gail Andrews: Mr. and Mrs. Crawford L. Taylor, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. James Seldon Andrews: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Master Keith Baker Arendall II: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Keith Baker Arendall: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mary Brannon Arendall: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Sara Margaret Baker: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen

Bradley Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain, Jr.;

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins and Miss

Louisa Bradford Collins; Mr. and Mrs. Wiley

H. Cooper; Claire Darnall; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys; Miss Ellen Coleman Edwards; Virginia

Murray Farley; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K. Greene;

Miss Carson O'Neil Hull; Mr. Thomas E. Jernigan,

Jr.; Adelaide Essick Kimberly; Mr. and Mrs. Guinn

A. Lockett, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. John A. Marks; Mr.

and Mrs. Roger V. Ostrander; Mr. and Mrs. John

B. Patrick; Mr. and Mrs. Don Plosser; Mr. and Mrs.

Charles W. Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger Smith;

Madeline Dalel Turner

Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen Baker, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen Bradley Baker lll: Mr.

and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys; Mr. and Mrs. Guinn

A. Lockett, Jr.Ms. Joyce Benington: Art Focus

Group

Mr. and Mrs. James William Blair: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Bromberg, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Stephen G. Collins and Miss Louisa Bradford

Collins

Mrs. Anne Burke: Village Garden Club

Virginia Warren Cain: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen














Mr. Russell Warren Chambliss, Sr.: Debardeleben

Foundation; Diane and James Richardson; Dr. and

Mrs. Roger Smith

Mr. and Mrs. John Nelson Coleman: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Louisa Bradford Collins: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen

Bradley Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain; Jr.;

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins; Mr. and Mrs.

Wiley H. Cooper IV; Claire Darnall; Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys; Ellen Coleman Edwards; Virginia


Miss Carson O’Neil Hull; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E.

Jernigan; Jr.; Adelaide Essick Kimberly; Mr. and

Mrs. Guinn A. Lockett, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. John A.

Marks; Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Ostrander; Mr. and

Mrs. John B. Patrick; Mr. and Mrs. Don Plosser; Mr.

and Mrs. Charles W. Regan; Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger

Smith; Madeline Dalel Turner

Anne Stanton Compton: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen

Bradley Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain, Jr.; Mr.

and Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins and Miss Louisa

Bradford Collins; Mr. and Mrs. Wiley H. Cooper;

Claire Darnall; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys; Miss

Ellen Coleman Edwards; Virginia Murray Farley;

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K. Greene; Miss Carson

O'Neil Hull; Mr. Thomas E. Jernigan, Jr.; Adelaide

Essick Kimberly; Mr. and Mrs. Guinn A. Lockett, Jr.;

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Marks; Mr. and Mrs. Roger V.

Ostrander; Mr. and Mrs. John B. Patrick; Mr. and

Mrs. Don Plosser; Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Regan,

Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger Smith; Madeline Dalel Turner

Mr. and Mrs. A. Philip Cook III: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Carlton Ramona Cooper: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen













Lily Grace Couvillon: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen









Mr. and Mrs. John A. Marks; Mr. and Mrs. Roger

V. Ostrander; Mr. and Mrs. John B. Patrick; Mr.

and Mrs. Don Plosser; Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.

Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger Smith; Madeline

Dalel Turner

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Claiborne Crommelin, Jr.: Mr. and

Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Madeline Lysbeth Debuys: Susie and Joe Abbott;

Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen Bradley Baker lll; Dr.

and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen

Griffin Collins and Miss Louisa Bradford Collins;

Mr. and Mrs. Wiley H. Cooper; Claire Darnall; Mr.

and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys; Miss Ellen Coleman

Edwards; Virginia Murray Farley; Mr. and Mrs.

Stephen K. Greene; Miss Carson O'Neil Hull;

Mr. Thomas E. Jernigan, Jr.; Adelaide Essick

Kimberly; Mr. and Mrs. Guinn A. Lockett, Jr.;




Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger Smith; Sumner

and Jeff Starling; Madeline Dalel Turner

Marion Elizabeth DeBuys: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Dr. and Mrs. Jorge Ignacio de la Torre: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mrs. Richard Diamond; Mr. and Mrs. Robert M.

Fireman; Carolyn and Henry Frohsin; Jerry

Seigel; Mrs. Carole Simpson; Mrs. Mary S.

Steiner

Katherine Hufham Dodson: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler

Allen Bradley Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain,

Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins and

Miss Louisa Bradford Collins; Mr. and Mrs. Wiley











Anna Margaret Doody: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen














Mr. and Mrs. Felix Melville Drennen III: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. David Moore Driscoll: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Alexandra Glenn Dunn: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen














Ellen Coleman Edwards: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen




Claire Darnall; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys;

Virginia Murray Farley; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K.

Greene; Miss Carson O'Neil Hull; Mr. Thomas E.

Jernigan, Jr.; Adelaide Essick Kimberly; Mr. and


Marks; Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Ostrander; Mr. and

Mrs. John B. Patrick; Mr. and Mrs. Don Plosser;

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs.

Roger Smith; Madeline Dalel Turner

Mr. and Mrs. Leon Wyman Edwards, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. George Bondurant Elliott, Jr.: Mr. and

Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Mrs. Beverly Erdreich: Mrs. Richard Diamond; Mr.

and Mrs. Robert M. Fierman; Carolyn and Henry

Frohsin; Jerry Seigel; Mrs. Carole Simpson; Mrs.

Mary S. Steiner

Virginia Murray Farley: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen





Ellen Coleman Edwards; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K.


Jernigan, Jr.; Adelaide Essick Kimberly; Mr. and


Marks; Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Ostrander; Mr. and

Mrs. John B. Patrick; Mr. and Mrs. Don Plosser;

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs.

Roger Smith; Madeline Dalel Turner

Dr. and Mrs. Hugh Francis III: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Palfery Gillespy: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. Harold Goings: Debardeleben Foundation

Catherine Morris Greene: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen













Mr. and Mrs. James E. Grisham III: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. William Harrison Hartsfield: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mrs. Virginia Hillhouse: Village Garden Club

Mr. and Mrs. James Thomas Holloway: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Carson O'Neil Hull: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen Bradley

Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs.

Stephen Griffin Collins and Miss Louisa Bradford

Collins; Mr. and Mrs. Wiley H. Cooper; Claire

Darnall; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys; Miss Ellen

Coleman Edwards; Virginia Murray Farley; Mr. and

Mrs. Stephen K. Greene; Mr. Thomas E. Jernigan,







Mr. and Mrs. Elbridge Thornton Hydinger, Jr.: Mr. and

Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Eleanor Pryor Jernigan: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen













Mr. and Mrs. Burgin Hawkins Kent: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Dr. and Mrs. Raleigh Barbee Kent III: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Adelaide Essick Kimberly: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler

Allen Bradley Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle

Cain, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins

and Miss Louisa Bradford Collins; Mr. and Mrs.

Wiley H. Cooper; Claire Darnall; Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys; Miss Ellen Coleman Edwards;

Virginia Murray Farley; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen K.


Jernigan, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Guinn A. Lockett, Jr.;




Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger Smith; Madeline

Dalel Turner

Mr. and Mrs. Manly Parks Lee, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Warren Bricken Lightfoot, Jr.: Mr. and

Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Grace Wyman Lockett: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen














Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sprott Long, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Anne Traywick Lovelady: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen














Caroline Louise Marks: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen






Visitors’ View

From thoughtful reflections to silly selfies and everything in between,

we love to see the Museum through your eyes. Share your BMA ex-

perience with us on Instagram for a chance to be featured in our next

Visitors’ View!

@bonnie_g

@dios_waifu

@pooly1403

@chelsea.larussa.heslop

@_lacyrenee

@raspbrryberet










Mr. and Mrs. John Amos Marks, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Minnie Maroules: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

*Mr. John Higgins Martin, Sr.: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Samuel Decker Marx: Dr. and Mrs. David A. Skier

Lucy Dunn Massey: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen














Mr. and Mrs. David McCoy Millhouse: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Master Claude Beeland Nielsen: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Claude Beeland Nielsen: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Miss Elizabeth Jane Nielsen: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Anne Holbrook Ostrander: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler

Allen Bradley Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain,

Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins and

Miss Louisa Bradford Collins; Mr. and Mrs. Wiley











Frances Alice Patrick: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen













Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hardy Phillips: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Cleary Gray Plosser: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen













Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Camp Pritchard: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. William Shelton Pritchard III: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Brinson Reed: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest

DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. William Lawrence Reed, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Ellen Wynn Regan: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen Bradley

Baker lll; Dr. and Mrs. E. Lyle Cain, Jr.; Mr. and

Mrs. Stephen Griffin Collins and Miss Louisa











Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Edward Sandner III: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Dorothy Pate Simmons: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen













Mrs. Nan G. Skier: Highland Book Club; Millbrook

Garden Club

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Julian Skinner IV: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. Hatton Coulbourne Valentine Smith: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Brian Bruce Sullivan: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. Crawford L. Taylor, Jr.: The Bank of America

Charitable Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. George Malcolm Taylor III: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Madeline Dalel Turner: Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler Allen








Essick Kimberly; Mr. and Mrs. Guinn A. Lockett,

Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. John A. Marks; Mr. and Mrs.

Roger V. Ostrander; Mr. and Mrs. John B. Patrick;

Mr. and Mrs. Don Plosser; Mr. and Mrs. Charles

W. Regan, Jr.; Dr. and Mrs. Roger Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Stringer Vogtle, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. William Bernhart Wahlheim, Jr.: Mr. and

Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Mrs. Laura Wallace: Ms. Faye D. Wright

Mr. and Mrs. Forest W. Whatley, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. George Frederick Wheelock III: Mr. and

Mrs. Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Meade Whitaker, Jr.: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Davies Whitaker: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

Dr. Rachel White: Springbrook Garden Club

Mr. and Mrs. James Douglass Williams: Mr. and Mrs.

Forrest DeBuys

*Deceased

In Memory of

Mrs. Pauline Ireland: Mr. and Mrs. Michael Balliet,

Sr.; Mrs. William W. Featheringill; Mrs. Beverley

Harrell; Mrs. Sykes Martin

Mr. Guy R. Kreusch: Dr. and Mrs. James Kamplain;

Ms. Marianne Schoel

Mrs. Claire W. Martin: Dr. and Mrs. Alexander M.

Nading, Jr.

Dr. John W. Poynor: Pat and Ross Forman; Dr. and

Mrs. Warren C. Gewant; Dr. and Mrs. Alexander

M. Nading, Jr.; Sara and Farley Snow; Mr. and

Mrs. Leo C. Wright, Jr.

Mr. James Evans Simpson, Jr.: Ms. Celeste C. Grenier

Mr. William (Bill) J. Ward: Kayne Anderson Rudnick

Investment Management

@michon_arielle

@secret_violin

@millermej

These selfies were taken in a recreation of photographer Irving Penn’s

corner studio in our smartlab. A photograph by Penn of socialite Janet

Newbold posing in his corner is currently on view in Ways of Seeing:

Fashion”


BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd.Birmingham, Alabama 35203

PRESORT STD.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 02160

BIRMINGHAM, AL

/artsbma @bhammuseumartsbma.org/medium

Is your name or address incorrect?Please let us know by calling 205.297.8088 or emailing [email protected]. Thank you!

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